Insomnia is perhaps the most common of sleeping disorders and is the result of things like stress, a change to your sleep schedule, changing time zones or just poor sleeping habits. Depending on the cause, correcting it can be as simple as cutting out caffeine, TV before bed or stress in your life. We’ve even heard of a man who was suffering from insomnia because he was hearing a water drip that he couldn’t find until he called Tredent Contracting Services to check his roof for leaks.

There are many over the counter medications that help you to relax, but they are only for temporary relief. Chronic insomnia usually requires medical attention. Sometimes therapy can deal with an underlying psychological problem, or medications can offer relief. If you prefer purely natural treatments, there are herbal remedies like melatonin and chamomile.

Sleep apnea is when a person stops breathing while asleep. Most people do this naturally, but only briefly – ten to twenty seconds. When it becomes severe enough to be a problem, there are a number of treatments available. Sometimes just losing weight or changing your sleeping position can solve the problem.

For more severe cases, a dental insert or actual surgery is called for. The problem can be the result of a constricted airway, too much tissue in the back of the throat or a severe overbite. So an operation to remove some of the soft tissue in those areas can relieve the matter, or moving the lower jaw forward to open up the airway in the throat can help.

Snoring kind of goes along with sleep apnea; the underlying causes can be the same. In general, your airway becomes narrower, and this results in an inability to breathe smoothly. As with sleep apnea, the treatments can vary wildly. Sometimes just changing your position in bed is enough, elevating the head, or losing some weight can relieve it.

Also, if you drink or smoke, cutting down on either one can ease the problem. If that doesn’t stop it, sometimes a mild antihistamine will dry your sinuses out enough to put an end to your snoring. There are also a variety of medical devices you can wear or insert into your mouth or nose. They’re designed to keep the breathing passages open. In extreme cases, surgery can be used in a similar manner as with sleep apnea. The key element is to open up the airway. So, by removing excess tissue from your main airway, you can cut down on your snoring.

Then there are two related problems: Restless Leg Syndrome and Periodic Limb Movement Disorder. In both cases, you have a nearly irresistible urge to move your limbs. This is generally marked by a tingly or creepy sensation in your limbs, and people find that by moving around they get some temporary relief.

When it happens in bed, the movements can be so severe that they wake themselves up. Usually, both disorders are associated with some other disease like kidney disorders, anemia, diabetes, thyroid problems, lupus, MS etc. There are some medications currently available to treat both, and also lifestyle changes like getting more exercise and improving your nutrition have been found to be helpful. If you have a rather extremely sedentary life, think about adding something as simple as a walk in the evening.

Narcolepsy is the polar opposite of insomnia; you get sleepy and even fall asleep without warning. You may be getting plenty of sleep and not feel sleepy – until one of these sleep attacks hits you.

In extreme cases, people can literally fall asleep as fast as their dog or cat. The cause of narcolepsy is unknown, but doctors suspect it’s largely a genetic disorder combined with some type of environmental trigger. Doctors recommend a three-pronged approach to treatment: medication, counseling, and some form of behavioral treatment.